it can be found on the corner of the road just past the grocery store
by Yotsubadancesintherain5
Summary: When you're a little child, your bookmobile may be akin to a new invention. Sturdy, efficient, but small in the grandness that will follow. Part 14 of the Yotsuba & Frisk series.


It had been raining since the morning. Yotsuba ran through the shower of water, feeling her rain boots becoming filled with water. She ran up to the crosswalk and looked behind her.

"Over here, Frisk!"

She waited for her friend to catch up and they crossed the street. The supermarket was warmer than outside, and they split to buy the respective groceries.

Yotsuba had two instant cup ramen instead of one, but she reassured Frisk that it would be a secret. Frisk shrugged and put the boxed lunch on the counter, waiting for the cashier to ring it up.

When they left the store, there was a van that read "Bookmobile" on the side. It looked like a van that used to be an ice-cream truck but instead of handing out ice-cream they handed out books.

The two kids looked at the glass door, which had a script that read, "Please enter if you please" and some words in English. The door opened easily and they went into the van, and Yotsuba accidentally spilled some of the rain water into the carpet.

She was trying to clean it up with the free napkins when Frisk tugged on her raincoat and pointed at the empty shelves. There was a very tall, very lean Monster at the end of the mobile. There were freckles that looked like blots of ink on the Monster's thin arms.

The Monster seemed to be dusting off the shelves and happened to look in the direction of the entrance to the bookmobile. "Oh! Oh, hello. It's not quite time for either of you to visit right now."

Yotsuba gave one final push of the napkin into the damp rug and stood up. She reached for Frisk's hand and stood her ground.

"What do you mean?"

The Monster walked to them and sat down. Their body looked not unlike the letter 'S' as they settled to the kids' level.

"Your books are not finished filling these shelves. Oh, I suppose it'll take about twenty years or so, but you must have been desperate to get out of the rain."

Frisk slid their hand out of Yotsuba's and signed, "You don't sell books?"

"No, silly, these are... these are... well, you can see for yourself."

The Monster stood up and moved out of the way, though it seemed as though they could easily fit into one of the shelves. Yotsuba walked to the end of the bookmobile, and looked at the very bottom of the shelves.

"Oh, it's the story about pancakes..." She reached in and pulled out the picture book. She started reading it, and heard Frisk walk down the hall as well. They sat opposite her and tapped on her shoulder to show her a book about trains that they had at home.

Yotsuba put the book back when she was done and was startled by Frisk hitting the shelf.

"What's the matter, Frisk?"

They held their hand and blinked back tears. They blew air on the hand once, twice and then reached into the shelf and showed her the book that made them hit the shelf in their surprise.

It looked like an album, and the pages were blank except for one.

"Oh... Toriel really was a cool bad guy?!"

Frisk pointed at something behind her and Yotsuba saw what they were pointing at.

"This is my drawing book? How?" Yotsuba looked at the Monster. "Are you a thief?"

"No, no, silly child," said the Monster. "This bookmobile... well, how do I say. When you read a book, it shows up here. It's a milestone of sort. When you grow older, you will find that there are many flavors of books."

The Monster brushed at one of the taller, empty shelves. "Books that you wish to keep in your heart forever, books where you create the words, books that stay with you like gum on shoes, books that you once thought were very pretty but were instead filled with rotten and spoiled words. It's an homage to learning."

Yotsuba glanced over at Frisk and, seeing that they nodded, said, "I believe you."

The Monster smiled. They reached into the shelves and pulled out two cards. "If you wish to return when you become older, you can find the address on these cards."

The kids took them and grabbed their grocery bags, running out into the rain.

When the story was told, they would find that the cards had been lost to the rain and wind.

**A/N: Originally posted on AO3 on January 24 2017**

**There was a comic book I read a long time ago where every book you read in your life would go to this bookmobile. It was very interesting and I wish it was real because I've consumed many books and would like to be reminded of all of them.**

**And then that comic book shows up in the bookmobile and a paradox is created...**


End file.
